Sports boot with decoration

ABSTRACT

The sports shoe comprises a transparent or translucent wall comprising a decoration on its inner face.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to all or part of a sports shoe comprising adecoration and is particularly appropriate for boots for sliding boards,such as skis or snow boards, or for skating, which are used in abrasiveenvironments. Furthermore, the invention also relates to the process formanufacturing such a shoe.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

Boots for sports involving sliding require an appropriate compromisebetween the constraints of comfort and rigidity. The latter is necessaryin order to allow the user to guide the sliding device accurately and tofeel the response of the device to his actions. To this end, the bootsgenerally consist of a shell and a collar, part of which is made of arigid plastic material. The decoration of such boots is frequently soberand produced by hot-marking on the outer surface of the shell or collar.The decorations produced are often damaged by the abrasive environmentencountered during use of the boot and, in the case of skiing orsnowboarding, they are moreover subjected to unintentional impactscaused by the edges, which give rise to unattractive scratches on thesedecorations. Such decorations are therefore not very durable.Furthermore, such a decoration process is inconvenient because it adds along and expensive stage to the process for manufacturing sports shoes.

More generally, the processes for decorating sports shoes of the priorart are unsatisfactory on account of the combination of a large numberof constraints, including:

-   -   the shoe is intended for an abrasive environment and for sports        use which results in major stresses on its structure. In the        case of skiing or snowboarding, the boot is also subjected to        accidental impacts caused by the edges. This external aggression        makes the arrangement of durable decorations on the shoe        difficult;    -   moreover, the shoe has a complex, non-planar surface, which does        not facilitate its decoration;    -   the shoe furthermore has a complex, expensive structure on        account of the mechanical and comfort-related constraints, and        it is not financially conceivable to increase its cost        significantly for an additional constraint of aesthetic nature.        Nor is it conceivable to reduce the rigidity and/or the comfort        of the shoe in order to make it possible to develop decoration        solutions;    -   the shoe also has to have a minimum weight in order to optimize        its performance and its cost. Decoration solutions which would        result in an increase in the weight of the shoe would therefore        be unsuitable.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A first object of the present invention consists in proposing a sportsshoe comprising a decoration, the latter being, if required, of largesize, and of any shape, being capable of comprising a large number ofcolors, and being resistant to the stresses imposed by the use of thesports shoe and appropriate for the complex shape of the surface of theshoe.

A second object of the present invention consists in proposing a sportsshoe with decoration of which the manufacturing process is simple andthe extra cost remains negligible.

A third object of the present invention consists in proposing a sportsshoe with decoration of which the weight remains minimal.

According to the concept of the invention, the sports shoe comprises atleast a portion of transparent wall having a decoration on its innersurface in such a way that it is visible from the outside and protectedfrom external aggression.

Thus, the sports shoe according to the invention comprises a part ofshell or cuff type of which at least a portion of wall is transparent ortranslucent and includes a decoration on its inner face so as to leavethe decoration visible from the outside and to protect it.

The decoration can be a marking by silk screen printing and/or lacquerand/or varnish applied to the inner face of the wall.

The decoration can also consist of a support comprising the decorationand fixed to the inner face of the wall by an adhesive means. Thesupport can be the adhesive means, a sticker or of the decal type.

The decoration can also be produced by hot transfer from a ribbon orfrom a label.

The sports shoe can be a ski boot, the part of the shoe being the shellmade of polyurethane and the decoration being arranged on the lateralportions of the shell.

The decoration can be of alphanumeric and/or four-color type.

It can include information allowing management of the sports shoe, bymeans of a part of bar-code type, for example.

The invention also relates to the process for manufacturing a sportsshoe, which comprises the following stages:

-   -   manufacture of a portion of wall on a part of the shoe of shell        or cuff type with the aid of a transparent material;    -   production of a decoration on the inner face of the portion of        transparent wall.

The production of the decoration can be effected by means of a method ofsilk-screen printing type and/or by application of a lacquer and/or avarnish.

In a variant, the production of the decoration can be effected by meansof a hot-marking stage.

According to another variant, the production of the decoration canconsist in arranging a support including the decoration with the aid ofan adhesive means on the inner face of the wall. To this end, this stagecan consist in removing a film from the support of the decoration so asto obtain the adhesive effect of the adhesive means. Thus, theproduction of the decoration can comprise a stage of sticking-on asticker, the support of the decoration being a sticker.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These objects, characteristics and advantages of the present inventionwill be explained in detail in the description below of one particularembodiment given on a non-limiting basis with reference to theaccompanying figures, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a boot according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view along A-A of the boot in FIG. 1, and

FIG. 3 is a sectional view along A-A of a boot similar to that in FIG. 1according to a variant of implementation of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The embodiment described below with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 relatesto a ski boot 1 consisting essentially of a sole 2, a shell 3 and a cuff4 articulated on the shell 3 in the malleolar region at a point 5. Thisshell 3 and this cuff 4 receive a comfort liner 6. The shell comprises adecoration 8.

FIG. 2 shows the structure of the shell 3 in section. It consistsessentially of a transparent or translucent wall 11 made of a plasticmaterial, for example polyurethane, comprising a decoration 8 produceddirectly on its inner face 12, which is visible from the outside byvirtue of the transparency of the layer 11.

This decoration 8 can be produced by means of silk-screen printing, orindeed any other printing technique. In particular, all the markingprocesses in use today for decorating the outer faces of sports shoesremain compatible with the concept of the invention and can be appliedto the inner face of the transparent wall.

In a variant, this decoration can be produced by means of a support 7for the decoration 8, shown in FIG. 2, which can be a conventionalself-adhesive paper, consisting of a face including the decoration 8 andalso an adhesive means, this face being covered by a protective filmwhich is removed just before the arrangement of the support 7 on theboot. This support 7 is stuck directly to the inner face 12 of thetransparent wall 11 of the boot. The support 7 for the decoration 8 isselected to be flexible and not very thick, made of paper, of plastic orof a natural or synthetic adhesive element, for example, so as to becapable of following the non-planar surface of the wall 11 of the shell3. The decoration 8 can be produced very easily by printing from acomputer printer.

According to another variant, the decoration can be arranged inaccordance with the decalcomania method, which will therefore consist inapplying the support to the wall 11 of the boot by removing the filmfrom the bottom of the decoration.

According to another variant, the decoration can be produced by thehot-transfer method from a label or from a ribbon.

The shell shown in FIG. 2 comprises in places a second wall 10 made ofpolyurethane, possibly superposed on the wall 11, according to acombination known from the prior art for improving the rigidity andcomfort of the boot.

In a variant illustrated in FIG. 3, the transparent portion of the wall11 can be reduced to a simple window 13 corresponding to the location ofthe decoration 8.

The invention also relates to the process for manufacturing the ski boot1, which is obtained by means of the following essential stages:

-   -   formation of the wall 11 comprising a stage of injection of        transparent or translucent polyurethane;    -   arrangement of the decoration 8 on the inner surface of the        transparent wall 11.

The portion of transparent wall 11 therefore fulfils the dual purpose ofbeing a main constituent element of the shell, the main function ofwhich is more specifically rigidity and comfort, while performing thefunction of supporting and protecting the decoration as it represents abarrier with regard to external aggression for the decoration.

In this embodiment, the decoration has been arranged on the lateralportion of the shell of the boot. However, it could also be arranged onanother surface of the shell 3 or on the cuff 4.

Furthermore, the decoration process according to the invention can becombined with the conventional decoration processes of the prior art,which are based on decoration of the outer surface of the walls of theshoes. It is thus possible to increase the aesthetic effects possible byobtaining reliefs, for example, by means of two superposed decorationslocated in different planes.

In a variant, the decoration can be more than a simple decoration andinclude information useful for the management of sports shoes for rentalorganizations, for example. Thus, the decoration can be of the barcodetype or any equivalent in order to indicate an identification number ofthe shoe. It also makes it possible to identify the rental organizationwhich owns the sports shoe. This allows it to automate the shoe rentalprocess thanks to a stage of rapid identification of the shoe. It canalso identify easily and with certainty the shoes belonging to it.

Finally, the solution achieves fully the objects mentioned above andaffords the following advantages:

-   -   as the decoration can be produced by a great many means, in        particular by means of a simple support, it is suitable for        shapes of any kind and any size. It can also comprise any type        of complex printing of alphanumeric or four-color type,        including colors, markings, holograms etc. As it can be produced        very simply, the process for manufacturing the shoe is suitable        for small series;    -   as the decoration is arranged on the inner face of the shoe, it        is protected from external aggression;    -   the invention does not require any specific supplementary        protection to be added to the shell to protect the decoration:        it merely involves integrating a decoration on a shoe of which        the structure is standard and does not require any modification,        apart from the transparency of the wall in the region of the        decoration;    -   given the explanations above, the increase in weight and cost of        the shoe according to the invention in relation to a shoe        without decoration is limited simply to the weight and cost of        the added decoration, which is negligible;    -   the process for manufacturing such a shoe is simple—all that is        required is to arrange the decoration by any means on the inner        wall of the shoe;    -   the invention also makes it possible to increase the aesthetic        effects possible, for example by virtue of the possibility of        combining the decoration process according to the invention with        existing processes in order to obtain reliefs.

1. A sports shoe (1) comprising a part of shell (3) or cuff (4) typecomprising a wall (11) with a decoration (8), wherein at least a portionof the wall (11) is transparent or translucent and includes thedecoration (8) on its inner face (12) so as to leave the decorationvisible from the outside and to protect it.
 2. The sports shoe (1) asclaimed in claim 1, wherein the decoration (8) is a marking by silkscreen printing and/or lacquer and/or varnish applied to the inner face(12) of the wall (11).
 3. The sports shoe (1) as claimed in claim 1,wherein the decoration consists of a support (7) comprising thedecoration and fixed to the inner face (12) of the wall (11) by anadhesive means.
 4. The sports shoe (1) as claimed in claim 3, whereinthe support (7) is the adhesive means.
 5. The sports shoe (1) as claimedin claim 3, wherein the decoration support (7) is a sticker.
 6. Thesports shoe (1) as claimed in claim 3, wherein the decoration support(7) is of the decal type.
 7. The sports shoe (1) as claimed in claim 1,wherein the decoration (8) is produced by hot transfer from a ribbon orfrom a label.
 8. The sports shoe (1) as claimed in claim 1, wherein thewall (11) of the part of the shoe is made of polyurethane.
 9. The sportsshoe (1) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the shoe is a ski boot, the partof the shoe being the shell (3) and the decoration (8) being arranged onthe lateral portions of the shell.
 10. The sports shoe as claimed inclaim 1, wherein the decoration (8) is of alphanumeric and/or four-colortype.
 11. The sports shoe as claimed in claim 1, wherein the decoration(8) includes information allowing management of the sports shoe.
 12. Thesports shoe as claimed in claim 11, wherein the decoration comprises apart of bar-code type for including the information.
 13. A process formanufacturing a sports shoe as claimed in claim 1, which comprises thefollowing stages: manufacture of a portion of wall (11) on a part of theshoe of shell or cuff type with the aid of a transparent material;production of a decoration (8) on the inner face of the portion oftransparent wall (11).
 14. The process for manufacturing a sports shoeas claimed in claim 13, wherein the production of the decoration (8) iseffected by means of a method of silk-screen printing type and/or byapplication of a lacquer and/or a varnish.
 15. The process formanufacturing a sports shoe as claimed in claim 13, wherein theproduction of the decoration (8) is effected by means of a hot-markingstage.
 16. The process for manufacturing a sports shoe as claimed inclaim 13, wherein the production of the decoration (8) consists inarranging a support (7) including the decoration (8) with the aid of anadhesive means on the inner face (12) of the wall (11).
 17. The processfor manufacturing a sports shoe as claimed in claim 16, wherein theproduction of the decoration (8) comprises a stage consisting inremoving a film from the support (7) of the decoration (8) so as toobtain the adhesive effect of the adhesive means.
 18. The process formanufacturing a sports shoe as claimed in claim 17, wherein theproduction of the decoration comprises a stage of sticking-on a sticker,the support (7) of the decoration (8) being a sticker.